Articulate
by RandomDarkness
Summary: Auggie's been trying to get this talk in for a long time, and Annie's waited even longer to open a dialogue. Follows on from the last ep of the season There's always something coming along to test their resolve... or reaffirm it. Final chapter up.
1. 01 Articulate

"I'm glad we're having this talk..."

Auggie gave her one of his bright little-boy grins, but she only had a moment to take it in before he leaned down and kissed her again. Everything focused down to the space occupied by their bodies. There was no Joan, no CIA, nothing else in the world but the sound of their breath and the comfortable space against his chest where she fit so perfectly.

His hands travelled smoothly over her back and up into her hair, while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Everything was gentle and sweet, as fairy tale and soft-focus as her coma dream had been, right up until he made a contented noise in the back of his throat... The sound sent Annie's heart racing so hard she could hear it rushing through her ears. Her hands clenched in his jacket and she pressed herself tighter against him. His response was instant, his arm tightened around her waist and his fingers curling in her hair.

Eventually they broke apart for breath. Annie kept her eyes closed, and sighed happily when he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. She could sense him smiling without her eyes. "You're so articulate," she breathed and felt him chuckling.

"You're holding your own." He kissed thee tip of her nose gently. "I'm caught somewhere between wanting to be a gentleman and... not."

Annie laughed and pecked his lips lightly. "Is that your way of asking to stay...?"

"Maybe...?"

She cupped his face gently and her turned his cheek into her palm so he could kiss the inside of her wrist. "Auggie, are you nervous?" she ask jokingly, only to gaze up at his serious face when his arms tightened around her again. "Auggie?"

"I feel like I've been waiting for this... since the beginning, so yeah. Maybe. A little." He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "I've made mistakes, and I should have... had this talk, a long time ago. Now, I just wanna get this right..."

"Auggie," Annie gently pushed his jacket off his shoulders and smiled as a slow blush rose up his neck and spread sweetly over his cheeks. "You've talked me through gunfights, and man hunts, and tricky extractions... damnit!" his tie was stubbornly refusing to come undone.

"Tricky extraction?"

"Shut up... ungh, this is not going as smoothly as I'd hoped." She let her head fall forward to thunk dully on his shoulder.

"Just... just tell me I don't have to leave." He folded his arms around her and inhaled the scent of her hair while she sighed and nuzzled his neck.

"Don't leave." She closed her eyes and relaxed for what felt like the first time in months. "Everything's been so crazy for so long... I don't even remember the last time I felt like I could just stop. Like I could sleep and not worry about anything... like everything was OK."

"It might be nice if you could go a couple of weeks without scaring the crap out of me... come here." He bumped his way sideways to the bed and sat them both down, toeing off his shoes in the process.

With some awkward shifting, Auggie managed to lay them back on the bed with Annie snuggled safely against his chest. She started to nuzzle at his neck again but he kissed her hair and shook his head. "For once, Walker, we've got nothing but time. Get some sleep, I'll keep watch."

"Mmm. I can hear your heartbeat." Her voice sounded so much sleepier than she'd thought it would. A languor crept over her that she didn't see coming. Cuddled in his arms, she finally felt like everything had stopped spinning. "You're a good pillow. And blankie."

"Sleep, Walker." He laughed softly.

During the night, Annie shifted restlessly. It seemed to Auggie that she couldn't go half an hour without swimming back to conciousness. Each time he tightened his arms around her and murmured into her hair that he was there. That everything was alright, and he was watching over her. She would sigh and snuggle deeper into his arms before drifting back into a deeper sleep.

At nine o'clock the next morning, Annie swam lazily back towards wakefulness for the first time in months rather than startling awake looking for threats. Instead of imagining the cold, unyielding iron of a Russian prison bed, all she could feel was the warm comfort of Auggie's chest against her back and his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Mmm, you OK?" she heard Auggie murmur against the back of her shoulder, then kiss her behind her ear gently.

"I am so much more than OK." Annie rolled in his arms and kissed his chin. "I actually feel rested for the first time in ages." Her hands wriggled up inside his shirt and found the warm skin at the small of his back.

"Got anywhere important to be today, Walker?" He asked, playing with her hair coyly.

"Here seems like a winner to me."

They kissed gently while Auggie curled his fingers in her hair and she held on to his hip. Just as her breath started to quicken, her cell phone rang on the bed side table. Auggie pulled away laughing.

"Danielle! Hi!" She gasped as Auggie gently pressed her face to the side so that he could kiss her neck.

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "... Annie, are you OK? You sound..." another pause.

"Oh, Um, I'm fine. Really just ah... I can't really talk for too long I'm ah, I'm having breakfast with Auggie." She suppressed a squeak when he nipped lightly at her ear when he heard his name and then grinned impishly at her.

Now the pause was suspicious and suddenly Danielle squealed down the line. "Oh my GOD he's there isn't he? ANNIE! It's about time!"

"Umm..."

"Morning Danielle," Auggie called into the phone, half laughing.

"Jesus, Annie, am I on speaker? You could have warned me!" Danielle gasped.

"For a start, how could I have warned you? You dove right in? And second, no, you're not on speaker, but he's got super-human hearing." She laughed again as Auggie wrapped his arms around her, put his head on her shoulder and batted his eyelashes up at her. "OK, we're gonna be doing the embarrassing sister thing for a little while... you wanna give us a minute?"

"Mmm, not really." He kissed her cheek and sat up. "Mind if I take a shower?"

"Course! Ah, two steps forward from the foot of the bed, then left, about five steps the way you walk. Your cain's on the chest at the foot of the bed." She told him with a grateful smile.

"Oh my GOD!" Danielle squealed down the phone. "He totally spent the niiiight!"

Annie held the phone away from her head and started to look apologetically at Auggie, only to find him grinning that cheeky, school-boy grin again. When she saw it she grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

"Hey! Don't throw things at the blind guy." He laughed, though he'd managed to block the flying pillow with one hand.

"Blind guy my ass! Go shower."

"Listen to you two!" Danielle gushed. "I told you, I TOLD you! You so totally love him!"

Auggie had stopped in the doorway to the bathroom, one hand on the door jab and every muscle in his back tense. He didn't turn, but Annie could tell he was listening intensely. "Yeah, I totally do..." She watched as he turned and made his way back to the bed, his expression serious.

He felt along the edge of the bed with one hand until he found Annie's legs where she'd slung them over the side, then dropped to his knee's. After a moments fumbling he found her face and cupped it gently. "I love you too..."

"Oh my GOD!" Came the squeal from the phone.

Annie and Auggie both laughed as he reached up and took the phone. "Annie's gonna have to call you back, Danielle..."

"Come spend Christmas with us!" Danielle called before the phone hung up.

There was silence... Annie gazed down at Auggie's face. "I do, you know."

"Yeah, me too." He stood and held his hand out. "Shower?"

Annie blushed, but took his hand.


	2. 02 You do see me

Usually, when they walked, Auggie would put his hand in the crook of her elbow and let her lead him around. It had always felt safe and friendly to have his hand there, and there hadn't been any need to take his hand and lace their fingers together. He didn't skim his hand up her arm this time though, he kept her hand in his as she moved past him and led the way to the bathroom. It was almost more intimate than the kissing had been, just for being so different.

The bathroom echoed as Auggie pushed the door closed behind them. With a slightly trembling hand, Annie reached for the buttons of his dress shirt.

"It's all creased... shouldn't have slept in it." She mumbled.

"Really not worried about the shirt right now," he breathed as he shrugged out of it and reached for the hem of her T-shirt.

Annie bit her bottom lip, perversely glad that he couldn't see how nervous she was sure she looked. The idea hit her that Auggie had no idea what she looked like... did he even know what colour her hair was? She'd never been prudish, and Auggie had always been her safe place... so why was she trembling so hard. "Hey..." he let go of her shirt and moved forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders instead. "It's OK... the hard part's over. Everything else can take as long as we want. There's no rush."

"It's not that," she shook her head and slipped her arms about his waist and closed her eyes. That was what his world was like... just the feel of skin, the sound of breath, the _sense_ that someone else was there. "I just... there's no 'chute now, you know? No net... if I fall..."

"I wont let you fall, Annie. Not ever."

She squeezed her eyes closed tighter and pressed her face into his chest. He was right. He'd reached out his digital hand all the way to Russia and orchestrated her rescue from a prison that doesn't officially exist. He flew to Amsterdam to help her save her friend, even though (as was now obvious) he was afraid she'd choose Eyal... Whatever happened, Auggie never let her fall. When she lifted her face to look up at him, her expression was awed and tender and her trembling stilled.

"I know."

With hands that were now rock steady, she tugged her shirt off over her head. Auggie put his hands on her arms at the wrist before trailing his fingertips upwards. "God I wish I could see you..."

"You do see me." He felt her moving, she was obviously kicking her sweat pants off. Then she moved forward and undid his belt. "You see me more clearly than anyone, you always have." And she knew in that moment that it was true. On the Poland op, he'd known what she'd do. He knew when she'd run and when she'd fight. He knew when she could walk away, and when she simply could not give in. But it went both ways. "And I see you... the only thing I couldn't see was us, but everyone else did. Come on."

She moved to the side and turned on the water while Auggie, who now found that his hands weren't as steady as they'd once been, kicked his pants away and reached out trusting she'd guide him. Being forced to be so trusting had killed him in the beginning. For a man who'd always been independent, strong, and self sufficient, having to reach out in the dark and put his faith so completely in other people had been almost more than he could take. Even now, years later, he'd take trips to foreign countries and make his way with the senses he had left... but he always took Annie's arm he realised. Even inside Langly where he knew the terrain, where he had the resources to move confidently on his own, he always put his hand on her arm and let her guide him.

When her hand closed over his, it was the same as it had always been. She wouldn't let him fall either...


	3. 03 Office PDA

Amber fiddled absently with a lock of her hair and tried desperately to be interested in the report open in front of her on her desk. This wasn't what she thought the CIA was going to be like. Suddenly Don, whose desk was across the aisle from her, gasped and scooted sideways into her and grabbed her arm.

"Look!" he hissed.

"Wha..?" Amber looked up and clamped her mouth shut.

Auggie Anderson and Annie Walker had just walked in. It hadn't escaped office notice that they'd taken three days leave at the same time. The office pool on how long it was going to take them to get together had gone nuts.

"Who had today? Who had today? Come on check, was it me?" Don started rifling through her desk draw looking for the little calendar with the bets noted on it.

"You don't know they're together," Amber shook her head.

"Look how close together they're walking."

"They always do that..."

Don snorted. "Come on, LOOK at them, they're totally doin' it." He leaned back and poked the small, mousy-looking man at the desk behind Amber with the end of his pen. "Thomas, hey, Thomas, take that report in to Joan."

"What? N... no. She didn't need it for another four hours, and she's busy." He stammered.

"Get up and go hand the stupid thing in! We want to know what's on that paperwork Annie's carrying." Don continued to poke Thomas with his pen until the littler man was sweating nervously. "Go on! Go, go go."

"Alright, alright!" Thomas hissed, standing and straightening his black tie. Trembling violently and with a cold sweat still standing on his brow he made his way to Joan's office and knocked.

"Come in."

Auggie and Annie were still smiling, and Joan looked pleased until her eyes fell on Thomas, then her face returned to its usual impassive expression. Annie noticed the sweat and the trembling and gave the nervous rookie an encouraging nod.

"Ah... the report you wanted... I ah... I finished it early." He hurried over and held it out to her, his eyes flitting frantically over her desk trying to see what was written on the paperwork... _Close and Continuing Relationship _was printed neatly across the top, and August Anderson's name written in Annie's delicate handwriting.

Joan was looking at him speculatively, and it made his skin crawl. After a fe moments the corner of her mouth quirked up in a knowing smile. "There's an op-meeting in half an hour, I'd like you there."

Thomas made a choking sound and Auggie sniggered into his hand, his eyes shining with mirth. "M... me?"

"Yes, Agent Daniel, you." She put the report in her in tray, then picked up the forms Annie hand handed her and put them on top of it. "You came in here, when the others wouldn't. You'll be backing Annie up tomorrow. It'll all be covered in the meeting. Annie," Joan gave her an arch look, "keep an eye on him will you?"

"Of course."

Everyone stood there silently for several seconds while Thomas fiddled nervously with the cuff of his jacket until, at last, Joan raised an eyebrow at him. "Dismissed." She said cally, and shook her head in exasperation as he fled. "Unbelievable."

"He'll be fine, I'll keep an eye on him." Annie smiled.

"Well, if you ladies will excuse me, I should finish the tech-prep for the meeting." Auggie flashed a grin and gave Annie's arm one final squeeze before leaving. She watched him go with a loving smile and when she turned back, Joan's face was serious.

"You don't approve?" Annie asked, suddenly uncertain.

"It's not that Annie," Joan said quietly, shaking her head. "It's not that." She finally managed to smile, "I was... worried, that you'd miss each other."

Annie regarded her carefully for a moment. "You knew, didn't you? 'Everything you need is right here'... you were right." She turned to leave.

"Annie. Keep the PDA to a minimum in the office."

Outside in the bullpen, Thomas walked back to his desk in a daze, his eyes unfocused. Don and Amber watching him avidly while he sat, and started fiddling absently with things on his desk. "Well? What was it?" Don demanded.

"Close and Continuing..." Thomas mumbled.

"YES! Oh yes, I knew it, Pay up!" Don held his hand out to Amber, but she was looking at Thomas with a worried expression.

"Are you OK, Tom?"

He looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes. "I'm going out in the field..." he whispered.

Annie stood in the doorway and watched Auggie fondly as he tapped away at his computer, his fingers moving confidently over the keys. She smiled as the tactile memory of his hands filled her mind.

"I can feel your eyes, Walker." He was grinning as he tilted his head to the side and his eyes settled somewhere to her left.

"Joan wants us to 'keep the PDA to a minimum', so it's probably just as well..." she quite deliberately swept her eyes over his face and down his neck.

"Walker, are you being dirty and suggestive where I can't see?"

"Maybe." She laughed, "we can _talk_ about it later."

Auggie chuckled as she turned and left.


	4. 04 Mugged by reality

"Do you understand?" Joan met Annie's eyes and then tried to look Tom in the face. He was sweating so much she was mildly concerned he might have some kind of condition.

"We're to make contact, make the exchange, and big back the package. No problems." Annie smiled and clapped Tom on the back making him jump.

"Mr Daniel... don't make me regret this..." Joan said carefully.

"No ma-am." Tom straightened his back and coughed into his hand. "Um, just one thing... I mean... I have to ask..."

"Why I'm sending an analyst into the field when he's never shown any interest in doing anything outside the office?" Joan asked with a raised eyebrow. "Annie could use another pair of hands on this one and besides, you showed at least a small amount of initiative today..."

"Right... right." Tom swallowed hard and left, clutching the file she'd handed him to his chest.

"OK, why are we really torturing this guy?" Annie asked once they were alone. "I mean, the job's a hand-off, in Arizona. It's glorified U.P.S. What do I need an extra pair of hands for?"

Joan didn't look up, she just tidied the files on her desk. "He needs to be broken in, and you might need someone to keep you, focused..."

Annie raised an eyebrow, "are you saying you don't trust me?"

Joan looked up at her seriously, "I'm saying I want you to do well here... I want the best for you," she sighed and handed Annie another very thin file. "You're contact in Arizona."

Annie looked at the file and had to suppress a double take. "Couldn't someone else...?"

"No, for two reasons. One, this is high priority and you're still my best."

"And two?" Annie interrupted.

"And two, you need to finish this, and not just for you..." Joan put a hand on Annie's shoulder for a moment. "I wont say anything, play it however you want, but when you get back here I suggest you have it sorted out."

"I... I will..." Annie stammered, then as Joan moved back behind her desk she looked up. "Thank you."

"Leaving straight away?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah," Annie said with a false smile, "I should be back inside of 48 hours. Just fly out, wait for the contact, collect the package and fly back."

"She's really throwing Daniels in the deep end huh?"

"Come on, you think he'd survive anything more his first run out? I don't know what she's doing to the the poor guy. I mean, he never asked for field work." Annie sat on the edge of Auggie's desk and he playfully tapped out a beat on her shoe.

"Think Joan would blow a gasket if you kiss me once before you light outta here?" He was grinning up at her impishly.

Annie hunched forward so she could mock whisper in his ear "you do know that your office is made of window's right?"

He blinked, "wait, really? This whole time?"

She laughed and hit his shoulder. "I'm going to have to leave in about ten minutes to make the flight... you'll be on the line until I get back?"

"Always." He frowned and caught her hand as she stood. "Walker? You OK? You sound... off."

She looked down at his face for a long, quiet moment, and he allowed her time to frame her reply without pushing. "It's been a few days now..." She said quietly. "We're coming up to that moment where the other shoe drops and this, this soft focus, daydream perfection is going to fall away and we'll get mugged by reality. I don't want to get mugged by reality yet, I don't want bitchy arguments over closet space or how much one or the other of us works. I just want this, I want honeymoon period, forever." She was slightly breathless by the time she'd finished and her words had that frantic run-on quality of mild hysterics barely controlled.

"Hey..." Auggie brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently, with his back turned discretely to the windows. "I will take, whatever closet space you give me, and you can have all of mine if you want it. I know you love your job, I love mine to, so I'll work when you work and we'll be perfectly fine. I am in this, with you, the job, the life, all of it." He still held her hand and was looking slightly off to her left, searching the darkness for her. "You were fine ten minutes ago... did something happen in the meeting? Did Joan say something?"

"No, no nothing like that." She smiled, and this time it reached her voice and Auggie relaxed somewhat. "Weirdly, I think she was giving me her blessing, in a 'don't hurt my baby, mamma bear' kinda way."

"And before I think too much about all the ways in which that is disturbing, I will steal one last kiss and you had better go." He stood and snuck a peck to her cheek quickly. "Call me when you land, or I'll sit in a corner and cry."

"Really?"

"Course not, I'll track your phone."

"Gees, look at them." Don watched as Annie and Auggie shared their somewhat less than private moment. "They're like randy school kids, How the hell did they last this long?"

"Don't be sore, just because it wasn't your day." Amber grinned.

"I still say you messed with the calendar."

"I think it's sweet. And the babies will be seriously hot, and smart... God they'll have super spy hacker babies." She swivelled on her chair and looked at Tom, who was still sweating. "Jesus, Tom, you have got to calm down."

"How did you even get in here when the mention of field work gives you palpitations?" Don asked.

"I'm ah... good with puzzles. Patterns. You know, codes and stuff... I ah... I scraped through my physical stuff, I think they might have let me squeak through on a couple of things actually..." He wiped at his forehead with the back of his hand. "God, why is this happening?"

"Hey, if you have a proper heart attack, maybe Joan will send me instead?"

"I doubt it," Amber shook her head. "If her rep is anything to go by she'll just wire him up so he still looks alive and send him anyway."

The trip down to the car was made in silence. Tom climbed in without a word, and hugged his briefcase to his chest. After fifteen minutes, Annie couldn't stand it any more. "So, why C.I.A?"

"Best toys." Tom muttered without looking up from his lap.

Annie laughed, "Auggie says the same thing. Tom, chill. This is going to be a walk in the park OK? I promise I wont let anything happen to you."

"You've been shot at... right?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not normal, I mean..."

"If you read your file it looks like it's normal. You get shot at a lot." He pointed out.

"Well, yes, OK, but not in Arizona."

"Right here in D.C." He interrupted her. "I read all the files."

"You're gonna be a real barrel of laughs aren't ya?" She ribbed good naturedly. "Look, just stay close to me, don't drink too much coffee, and we'll be back in two days, max."

"How do you know that?" Tom asked, glancing sideways at her.

"Because I have plans for the weekend, and I'm not postponing them."

"With August Anderson?" He asked.

Annie laughed. "It sounds so weird to me hearing someone call him 'August', but yes. Why? Are we office gossip already?"

"What already? You've been office gossip since before I got here."


	5. 05 I'm not, but I would have

Auggie sat at his desk, frowning off into the distance, his fingertips skimming the brail readout on his specially designed keyboard. When the phone rang, he took a slow, even breath then answered it calmly. "Walker? Land safely?"

"Stupid turbulence, I've spilt orange juice on my blouse!" She burst out indignantly. "I didn't bring a change of clothes because I don't plan on being here that long and now I'm going to have to either do this hand off in a sticky blouse, or try and buy something in an airport boutique."

"So, 'safely' is a relative term then?" Auggie half laughed. "I am not going to come over all maudlin and mushy, but it's almost home-time and I'm not exactly looking forward to heading out of here without you."

"You could be a _little_ more mushy than that you know."

"Not on a work line I can't, did you know there was a betting pool on us?" He asked in mock indignation.

"What is the world coming to? In that case, you can remain reserved and manly, but only until I get home."

"Agreed. Make the exchange and be home soon. I miss you already." He said it jokingly, but with no suggestion in his voice that he didn't mean every word.

Annie smiled, "I miss you too... I'll be back before you know it. Sleep well." As she was closing the phone, a voice startled her;

"I ah, got you a replacement blouse... dusky ivory, brings out your eyes..."

Annie clutched the phone in her fist and hoped to God Auggie hadn't heard the voice before it had snapped shut. She turned and met the speaker's eyes, attempting to keep her face calm. "Tom, this is Ben, Ben, this is Tom. Nice of you to meet us at the airport. You want to give me the package so we can be on the next flight home?"

"It's not here... ran into a small problem." He held up the blouse, "go change and then we can get out of here."

Annie glared at him for a moment, then snatched the blouse and shrugged off her jacket which she handed to Tom, ignoring Ben's waiting hand. "I'll be right back." She leaned in close to Tom, "Don't let him talk you into doing anything, don't even buy a soda, just wait for me, OK?"

Tom nodded nervously and clutched her jacket tightly.

While she was gone, Ben said nothing, but always seemed to be looking at Tom's face from the corner of his eye. Soon, the smaller man was sweating and fidgeting nervously. By the time Annie returned he'd decided that he didn't like this Ben Mercer, he didn't like fieldwork, and he didn't like travelling in general.

"Lets move." Ben gestured towards the exit. Being a domestic terminal, security wasn't overly pushy and they were out and into a waiting taxi within minutes. "I've got a room at the Arlington, we'll have to wait until morning to pick up your present, but with a little luck, you can be out of here by lunch time."

"How hard would it have been to just have it at the airport Ben?"

Ben coughed a little and glanced at the driver then back at Annie. "You're being a touch ungrateful Annie. Just roll with it. One night in a nice hotel isn't going to kill you, or your nervous travelling companion."

Back in the DPD, Auggie had startled as the phone clicked off. '_I ah, got you a..._' He stood immediately and made his way to Joan's office. "Why didn't you tell me that Ben Mercer was was the contact in Arizona?" He asked without preamble. Joan slowly put her pen down and folded her hands in front of her on the desk. "You know they're history, this could affect the outcome of the mission! Did she know?"

"Are you really concerned about the outcome of a pass off on American soil...? Or are you more worried about whether or not Annie knew, and didn't tell you?" Joan asked.

"Great thing about being a smart guy, I can think about more than one thing at once. Are you going to answer the question?" He was leaning on the desk, his mouth set in a grim line.

"You've been touchy to the point of insubordination where Annie is concerned before..." Joan pointed out.

"So she knew..." He turned and plonked himself down into one of her chairs. "She knew, and she didn't say..."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." He rubbed at his forehead almost aggressively. "Why wouldn't she have said..."

"Because I might have given her the impression it'd be better not to."

"What?"

"Auggie... whatever you might believe, I like Annie. I like you together, you're a great team and I believe you'll do great things here..."

"So why would you do this? You had to know that,"

"Because it has to be resolved." Joan cut him off. "Ben Mercer is a great agent, a great patriot it turns out, and the romantic pinnacle of Annie's life. You want her carrying him around so he can jump out of her subconscious every time you have a fight? And you will fight, you're too strong willed and stubborn both of you, to never butt heads." She came around her desk and put a hand on his shoulder. "You want her to sort this out Auggie, I promise. If you think this feels bad, think how it'd feel a year from now, after you'd argued..."

"I hate this."

"I know," Joan said, "but five minutes ago you would have told me you trusted Annie more than anyone else in the world. You need to decide if that's true or not."

The hotel seemed nice enough, and Tom seemed distracted by the girls in bikini's by the pool as Ben ushered them through the lobby. Annie concentrated on keeping her shoulders relaxed, her posture loose and ready. The fact that her phone hadn't rung again in half an hour suggested Auggie hadn't heard anything, but a nagging worry ate at her stomach that he had in fact heard, maybe he was angry? Maybe she should call and explain, but explain what exactly? She wanted to face him with answers, not a pathetic string of 'I don't know's.

She watched Ben's back and tried to sort through how she felt. For all that their romance was brief, she still felt that it was one of the most significant events in her life to date. The broad expanse of his back seemed so familiar to her that surely she'd been looking at it for years? A life time? That back, and all it implied, had been at the centre of her tumultuous approach to relationships for the past three years and one way or another, that was going to have to stop.

"I wasn't expecting there to be three of us, so someone's going to have to take the couch," Ben said as he pushed open the door to their room. "Either that or two of us can bunk up..."

Tom's eyes bugged out of his head a little and Annie glared at Ben. "I'll take the couch." She said firmly. "Now, why don't you have the package on you?"

"I was being followed yesterday and I didn't like the idea of toteing it around. I made a hand-off to a member of my team, who put it in a prearranged place. We hang out here, comfortably, for a a night, and tomorrow we split. You go get the package and go home, I'll lead whom ever's got eyes on me a merry chase down into Mexico."

"You're cleared to cross the border?" She asked as the put her jacket over the back of the couch.

"That word doesn't really have much meaning for me anymore." Ben said as he sat at the small table in the kitchen.

"What, border?"

"No, 'cleared'. There are limits on my operations, not directives..."

"So you're black ops now. Completely off the books." Annie shook her head. "That must work well for you..."

"Annie..." He stood and started to cross the room towards her but she held up her hands to keep him at bay. "I wanted to contact you."

"But you didn't... you never do." She backed away. "At least have the courage to admit that you weighed up what was important in your life and I didn't come out top of the list."

"That's not fair, Annie. Everything I've done,"

"Oh please! I'm with the agency now Ben, you could have worked something out. Whatever you might want me to believe, Arthur and Joan aren't wildly unreasonable people. You could have taken a different position... you could have stayed..."

"Is that what you want?" He asked, looking at her steadily. "Are you asking me to come back to D.C?"

Annie swallowed hard and lifted her chin defiantly. "No, I'm not. But I would have..."

For just a moment, Ben looked striken. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tom, who had sunk down onto the couch, coughed uncomfortably and Ben changed his mind.


	6. 06 Like a little girl

Annie didn't touch any of the complimentary booze in the mini fridge. Tom on the other hand hit it like it was going out of fashion and fell into his single bed by 10pm, snoring like a hibernating bear. She was fairly sure Ben hadn't touched any either, just like she was sure that the deep breathing coming from the couch (which he had insisted on taking) didn't mean he was asleep. Every shift of bed springs, every sigh and snore made her tense... She didn't want the confrontation she knew was coming.

The morning proceeded as smoothly as it could. Tom took so long in the shower that Annie wondered if he was just trying to avoid them. Indeed he stood under the hot spray, his ears straining, desperate not to come out should he hear anything... untoward. Eventually though he could put it off no longer.

While he was gone, Annie studiously didn't look at Ben. It wasn't that she was angry, though she got the distinct impression that was what he thought. She studied the detailed lace on the edge of the table cloth, fiddles with her handbag, and finally settled on staring blankly at her phone both wishing it would ring and dreading it. It buzzed, right as Tom was coming out of the bathroom, fully dressed but still with damp hair. She startled so badly she almost dropped it.

"Hey you." She heard down the line. "Sleep well?"

"I've had better nights. You?" She forced her voice to sound lighter than she felt, and ignored Ben, who was watching her from across the room.

"Strangely there seems to be far too much room in my bed now. I think I'm shrinking."

"You'll always be larger than life to me." She said, smiling.

"That was the punchline I was hoping for!" He laughed. "You coming home today?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, can you get me on a flight this afternoon? I wanna be home in time for beer and pizza."

"Consider it done." There was a pause, and Annie found herself staring blankly into the distance as though she might be able to see his face there. Seconds ticked by, and in that time it became obvious to Annie that he knew... more seconds, he knew she knew... "Annie?"

"Yeah...?"

"I love you..."

Annie let out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "I don't know if this counts as office PDA, but I love you too Auggie..."

"Extenuating circumstances, Joan'll turn a blind ear if she's listening. Come home safe, OK?"

"Have pizza and beer waiting for me, and you've got a deal."

As she hung up, Annie couldn't decide how to feel about that conversation. When she looked up, Ben was regarding her speculatively and Tom looked like he wished he'd stayed in the shower another twenty minutes.

"New boyfriend." Ben said.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, really new, like about a week..."

"And it's love already? You're a fast mover." There was an edge of hurt behind his eyes as he said it. Even as it came out he knew it was bitchy and biting, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

"We've known each other for a long time... it just took a while for us both to man up." She looked down at her phone again and smiled slightly. "He's ah... he's a little different, but it turns out different is good."

"Different." Ben said non-committally. "And new. New as in... not serious yet?" He closed the distance between them, but long before Annie would be forced to say anything Tom coughed uncomfortably to remind them he was still there.

"We ah... we should really get moving. You know, get back to D.C this afternoon." He stammered.

"Ya, OK. I'll do a digital check out on the road. Lets go." Ben moved to wait by the door while Annie gathered up her hand bag and jacket. She walked out past him without looking up.

Tom scuttled out after her, avoiding Ben's gaze as he was sure the older operative was shooting him a less than friendly stare. They made their way back down to the lobby, where Ben pressed a piece of paper into Annie's hand, met her eyes for a long moment, then turned on his heel and walked away. Tom looked at her questioningly and Annie opened the note;

_Metro bus station, locker 339_

_Key is taped under the rim of the third pot plant_

_Lobby of the Hilton Standard._

_I miss you Annie... and I'm sorry_

"Lets go." Annie tore the paper into four smaller pieces and dropped them into the bubbling fountain just outside the lobby where the turbulent water rushing over decorative stones, pulversied the message in moments.

"Where are we going?"

"Hilton standard." Annie said.

"The package is there?" Tom asked in surprise.

"No, the key to the package is there."

"And the package is somewhere else? Isn't that a little convoluted?"

Annie shrugged. "Depends on what's in the package."

"Well... what's in the package?"

Annie laughed softly as she hailed a cab. "I have no idea. Could be as simple as someone's work roster, or as complicated as nuclear launch codes. A friend once told me we're all cogs in a machine. If we knew what was in the package, we might behave differently, which is why they don't tell us. Always assume you've got the launch codes Tom... that way, if you're wrong, you did your best for blank paper... if you're wrong the other way, it could be world war three."

"Really?" Tom almost gasped.

"OK, that might be being a little dramatic." She laughed and elbowed him gently. "Hey... this, what we're doing now, this is most of the job. Not getting shot at, not hanging from building by our fingertips. Just this. You're doing fine."

"Why am I here, Annie?" Tom asked as they slid into the cab.

Annie looked at him carefully. "Honestly? I think maybe you're here to make a point."

"What point is that?"

"Well... I'm sure you know about me and Ben." Tom nodded slowly. "I think... I think Joan sent you with me, to let Ben know whose team she was on."

"I don't understand..."

"If I'd come alone, Ben would assume Joan approved of... of him and me. But she didn't send me alone, she sent me with you... I think she did it to let Ben know she doesn't think we're a good match."

Tom watched her for a few moments. "What do _you_ think?"

"I think... I loved Ben like a teenager. Without thought. But those relationships don't last once you grow up."


	7. 07 He's not just the cavalry

The rest of the trip to the Hilton was made in silence. Annie turned her phone over and over in her hands, unsure if she wanted it to ring or not. Wondering whose voice she would hear if it did, and how she'd feel about it. Something told her that there was more to this than just a pass off... Ben wasn't finished saying his piece and Annie was sure that his piece would be uncomfortable for all concerned.

"Go grab the key," Annie said when the taxi pulled up. "I'll hold the cab."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because my feet hurt and because this is the most simple task I can possibly give you to do on your own. Scoot." She waved her hand at him and watched him almost tumble out of the cab.

With a slightly trembling hand, Annie flipped through the numbers in her phone until she saw Auggie's name.

"Which pot again?" Tom asking, his head poking in through the window.

Annie fumbled the phone and it started dialling. "Oh my God, are you kidding me?" Auggie heard quite clearly when he answered.

"Annie?"

"Sorry, sorry, something... unexpected happened right as I was dialling. Tom, just... just work it out. Please?" She gasped.

"Right." Tom's head disappeared again.

"You alright Walker?" Auggie asked.

"I... not really. I don't know." She rested her head on her hand and closed her eyes.

"You wanna talk about it?" The question was tentative, and Annie hated that he should tread so lightly around her when he never had before.

"Not over the phone. I'll be home soon..."

"OK... I'll see you soon, so to speak."

When Tom returned, sweaty and haggard looking but clutching a small silver key in his hand, Annie barely looked at him. "Found it." He handed it over and she noticed that his hands were filthy. "I ah... I forgot where it was supposed to be exactly, so I had to,"

"Tom..." she interrupted him and patted his knee consolingly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. That was unfair, and none of my crap right now is your fault."

"It's OK, I mean, I get it. As much as a lonely geek who only moved out of his mother's basement a year ago can."

The train station was crowded and Annie led Tom through a series of evasion exercises mostly just to give him some experience. She'd been careful, watchful, since Ben had said he was being followed and she had no idea who might be interested in his movements, but there had been no sign of pursuit. While she was sure that somehow, Eyal might still be able to find a way to follow her without her knowing, just about anyone else should have given themselves away somewhere.

She grabbed the package, a slim manilla envelope that couldn't hold more than a dozen pages. With it tucked safely into her handbag Annie hailed another cab and she and Tom chatted about the weather and their families on the way to the airport. Security was nothing, and soon they were wandering around looking in boutique gift shops until Tom coughed uncomfortably and nodded towards Annie's left.

When she turned, Ben was standing there with his hands clasped in front of him. "Jesus." She hissed in annoyance. "I knew this wasn't over."

"You want me to... ah..."

"No, it's OK. Just um, just grab me a coffee, yeah? I'll be done by the time you get back." She clapped him on the shoulder and he took the out gratefully. "What do you want Ben?"

"To see you... to talk to you. I couldn't leave like this, not again." He closed the distance between then and reached for her hands but she pulled them back.

"We've been through this before, in Mexico..."

"Not this." He grabbed her hand before she could pull it back. "I want you to come with me."

"Come... what? Where? What are you talking about?"

"I want you to come with me. You're an amazing operative, Arthur realises that. There's a place for you on my team, if you want it." He stared down at her intensely.

"A place... but what about Joan? The DPD?"

"Arthur's OK'ed it. There's nothing she can do. You'd still be serving, still be doing what you love... and we could be together."

"Ben, it's not... that's not going to happen. I'm sorry, I,"

"You said yourself this guy hasn't been around long, you and me, we were,"

She held up a hand and shook her head. "Please just stop. Ben, it's not about, about time or opportunity. I don't want you to think that I'm angry with you, because I'm not. I get it. In your place I might have done all the same things had our places been reversed, but you have to understand... I wouldn't do them now." She sighed and took a deep breath before plunging on. "You were... the most exciting person I ever met. And we were exciting together but that can't be all it is. Auggie is... he's the cavalry when I need to be saved, but he's still around later when it all dies down. He's got my back at work, he knows what I like for lunch and he slept on uncomfortable hospital chairs all night just so he'd know, right away, that I was OK. He's someone I can trust to put me first, always. And he's someone I can put first..."

Ben swallowed hard and looked down at her. Though his face remained calm she had the impression he was suffering greatly underneath and she felt horrendously guilty for it.

"He's ah... someone, maybe, who'd fly across the country, just to get to see you three hours sooner..." Ben said quietly.

Annie frowned and cocked her head to the side, "what're you...?"

"There's a blind guy over there... who's trying very hard not to seem like his who life hinges on this conversation." Ben nodded and Annie spun to see Auggie leaning against the wall about fifteen meters further into the terminal looking simultaneously elated and guilty.

"Auggie!" Annie rushed forward and Auggie held out his hand which she took, tangling their fingers together, and flung her other arm around his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything." She gasped into his neck, only to sigh in relief as he wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her tight. "What're you doing here?"

"Well... it depends. I'm either being incredibly romantic, or indulging my inner insecure jerk." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I know you and Ben have a profound history... and I guess I just couldn't wait another three hours to find out if, given the choice, maybe... maybe it wouldn't be me."

"Auggie..." She turned her face and kissed him gently. "It's always been you..."

After kissed her back he pulled away smiling and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "In that case, I pulled a few strings and,"

"First class upgrade!" Annie gasped, yanking the envelope from his hand. She looked at him slyly. "What happened to being insecure?"

"I can't be insecure and hopeful at the same time?"

They laughed, and Annie turned in his arms to look back, but Ben was gone. She wasn't surprised, and smiled slightly. She wouldn't have wanted him to hang around and watch, it'd be like rubbing it in. "OK, I need to go to the bathroom. You wait here for Tom and I'll be right back." She half danced off sing-songing 'first class' under her breath.

"I thought she was going to forget I was here." Tom said as he sat next to Auggie on the uncomfortable blue airport chairs.

"It's nice you think I'm that distracting. Survive OK?"

"I think so." Tom coughed uncomfortably. "So uh... I suppose I'm heading back to cattle class?"

"You think I'm going to fork out for an upgrade for my girlfriend's partner? The partner who shared a hotel room with her last night?" Auggie asked coldly with a raised eyebrow.

"Right... no, of course not." Tom coughed.

"No, of course not. But, when I told Joan that Annie wouldn't be needing her ticket any more, she turned a blind eye when I got that one refunded and rolled it into a first class spot for you." He grinned.

"Oh thank God! I could feel myself getting deep vein thrombosis on the way here! That was the longest three hours of my life!"

When Annie came back from the bathroom, Auggie was still chuckling softly. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes." Auggie stood and smiled as she slid her arm around his. "As promised, there is Pizza and beer waiting at home."

"Mmm, that sounds amazing, and since you kept your end of the bargain, I suppose I can see my way clear to fix that bed situation you were having."

"I'm overcome with gratitude... among other things."


End file.
